SF Chronicle: San Francisco Holiday Treat Winter Walk Returns

Two blocks of Stockton Street near Union Square have been transformed yet again from a dusty subway construction site into a unique holiday destination, complete with white benches that light up at night, beer and wine gardens, food trucks, and entertainment that ranges from a silent disco to choirs, drag shows and DJs.

Winter Walk 2018 opened Monday and will provide a respite for San Francisco shoppers and gawkers until New Year’s Eve.

The big news, however, lies beneath the green plastic carpets that blanket the walkways — a fresh coat of smooth black asphalt lies below the fake lawn, and when the turf is rolled up and hauled away traffic will flow here for the first time in six years.